To buy or not to buy - questions about the exchange of publications between the former Soviet Bloc countries and the West in the 1990s

International exchange of publications between libraries has long been a successful solution to the problem of barter where no absolute value is calculable and only the value to the institutions is involved. The rapid changes in the fortunes of countries of the former Soviet Bloc have made this popular method of acquiring publications from the West even more attractive than ever. Focuses on the exchange acquisition of periodicals, in comparison with direct purchase, with particular reference to the role of the British Library, Boston Spa and illustrated by means of country by country statistical data and notes on the 1997 deselection process undertaken by the British Library Slavonic Acquisitions Section at Boston Spa. Presents arguments for and against exchange agreements with brief notes of opinions expressed by US slavonic librarians through the media of the Slavlibs electronic mail forum, 1997 American Library Association Conference and 7th Annual Slavic Librarians’ Workshop. Concludes that the necessity for libraries to obtain publications by exchange has changed. From being an indispensable acquisitions medium in the 1980s, it is now considered more economical to obtain publications by purchase. In the 1990s, cutbacks have forced librarians in the West to examine the way in which they allocate tightened budgets. While librarians still believe in the value of exchanges, where possible they prefer to purchase.